


Tales of the Blight: the Battle of Ostagar

by TheForgottenWarden



Series: Of love in times of Blight, and other demons [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Archdemons (Dragon Age), Artistic Liberties, Battle of Ostagar, Darkspawn, F/M, Grey Warden Joining, Mages and Templars, Mentions of Cullen, Mentions of Jowan - Freeform, Mentions of King Cailan, Mentions of Loghain Mac Tir, Mentions of Wynne - Freeform, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-24
Updated: 2017-05-24
Packaged: 2018-11-04 10:01:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10988619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheForgottenWarden/pseuds/TheForgottenWarden
Summary: Neria Surana has been recruited into the Grey Wardens. Now, she is free to leave Kinloch Hold, but she will learn that freedom is not always what it seems. (17 years old, 9:30 Dragon)[Mostly canon compliant, with a few narrative liberties]





	Tales of the Blight: the Battle of Ostagar

The last few days had been a mixture of the worst and the best she had lived in her short life. Neria did not know in what of those perspectives she preferred to focus her thoughts on.

First of all, it was the Harrowing. She survived it and now was a full-fledged Circle mage, for what is worth. And learned why other apprentices didn't returned some times, or volunteered to be made Tranquil. She wondered if that was the reason that Amell fellow just vanished one day.

Also, Neria was shocked at the fact that she was almost killed by Cullen, the only Templar she believed was a good person. Well, Greagoir had surely forced him to make such decision, but he was willing to do it, nonetheless. He had told her himself. And then, of course, she also discovered he was in love with her. That explained a lot of things. Still, in love and everything, that didn't changed anything. Cullen was willing to kill her. Would there be any Templars that could be trusted?

And then, there was Jowan. And Lily. That explained why Jowan... Jowan had lied to her, and ruined her life. She helped him because she cared for him, and in the end it was all lies. His betrayal stung like nothing else, a fresh wound that made her heart ache. Worst of all, Irving was the closest she had ever had to a father, and she had failed him, betrayed him. Yet Irving did not turn her over to Greagoir to face a well-deserved punishment. He didn't protested when Duncan recruited her into the Grey Wardens, and even allowed her to keep the old blackened staff she had taken from the repository.

And there was the blood magic issue. She cannot deny she was curious...

And there also was the war, and the darkspawn, and the mysterious Joining, which Duncan had said would be much like the Harrowing.

But she was free, at last. Out of the Circle of Magi, the place that had been her whole world since she had memory. She had barely had any time to pick up a few belongings. Only her books of intonations and another robe. The apprentices, some of them old friends, did not even say goodbye, struggling whether to congratulate her or to recriminate her for helping a maleficar. Maybe Anders would have been happy, but Neria hadn't heard of him for months. Maybe he had escaped again? She hoped the Templars could never find him. Cullen looked sad when she left Kinloch Hold, but she didn't wanted to talk with him. It was too much to bear.

After leaving the port of Lake Calenhad, Duncan had paid a dwarf merchant who was going to Lothering to allow them to join his caravan. Was safe that way. He had bought food as well. Even for her, too, all from his own pocket. The Imperial Highway, which she had only read about it, was so beautiful. They had traveled for a week, but still she didn't ceased to be surprised. Wherever she looked, she saw things that were new and wonderful to her. When they reached Lothering, they joined with the troops traveling south. Neria thought of looking for her family, but they did not have the time. Duncan assured her she could do it after the battle. And there was also the possibility that her birthplace was Denerim, after all.

Not that it was all roses, either. If in the Circle being an elf was bad, out there was even worse. People glared at her for no reason, treated her like a servant. And when they learned she was also a mage... What Anders had told her was true, mages were hated outside the tower. But freedom was worth it.

The Korcari Wilds were a sight. The jungle narrowed around the fortress like a circular wall. Beyond, the trees rose high, and the birch and maple-which she recognized from books-grew slender and slender, in the clearings, beside the immense fir trees. At any moment, the Dalish's Creators could sketch their powerful profiles among the trees, she thought. A sky clearer than any Neria had seen in her life, with shreds of clouds moving like ostentatious banners, stretched beyond the Tower of Ishal... it was breathtakingly beautiful.

But beneath her thoughts Neria perceived another aspect of the wild nature: indifference to human—or elven, or dwarven—life, the ruthless spirit of desolation, which does not take man into account. The feeling of her complete loneliness, now that Duncan had left her alone.

Neria explored every interesting place Ostagar had to offer: the King’s camp, Duncan's tent, the Mabari kennels… she meet Ash Warriors, a very frightened soldier, the other recruits—Ser Jory and Daveth—, and even one of her teachers of the Circle, Wynne. She joined a group of soldiers who were studying a genlock, with an unhealthy curiosity about the topic.

And finally, she found Alistair. He was… odd, for a human. He didn’t appear to be that much older than she was. When she met him, he was sassing a mage, a Enchanter she only had met once in the Circle. She didn't even remembered his name. Alistair greet her with a crooked smile. “You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together,” he said as the mage stormed his way out of there mumbling and cursing.

“You’re a very strange human,” she said before realizing it. Her checks blushed. That wasn’t a polite way to greet someone.

“You’re not the first person who said me that today,” he answered, one eyebrow arching. “Wait, we haven’t met, have we? I don’t suppose you happen to be another mage?”

“Did the shiny pajamas and stick on my back give me away?,” she pointed up her robes and staff.

“You don’t look like a mage." He was surprised. Embarrassed. It was pretty obvious she was a mage. “I mean, how interesting.” He cleared his throat. “Wait, I do know you. You’re Duncan’s new recruit, from the Circle of Magi. I should have recognized you right away. I apologize.” 

Neria smiled. “Yep, that I am. And you must be ser Alistair.” He looked like a knight, so she addressed him as such.

His eyes widened. “Did Duncan mention me? Nothing bad, I hope. And just Alistair, not ser.” Alistair said quickly, still embarrassed. “As the junior member of the Order, I’ll be accompanying you when you prepare for the Joining.”

“I’m Neria, pleased to meet you” the elf told him. 

Alistair smiled. “Neria. Like the Heroine of the Second Blight. How fitting.” He paused for a second, expression turning thoughtful. “You know, it just occurred to me that there have never been many women in the Grey Wardens. I wonder why that is?”

“You would like that, do you?”, now she was arching her eyebrows.

“Would that be so terrible? Not that I’m some drooling lecher or anything.” His reaction was immediate; cheeks flushed, words stumbled. “Please stop looking at me like that,” he added quietly.

Neria couldn't help but laugh. Something that turned Alistair's face even more redder. “So, I’m curious. Have you ever actually encountered darkspawn before?”, he tried to change the topic.

Neria tilted her head to the left a little. “I've read about them. And saw one dead a while ago, in the soldiers' camp. But none alive.”

Alistair nodded, and his expression soured. “When I fought my first one, I wasn’t prepared for how monstrous it was,” he told her, serious tone. “I can’t say I’m looking forward to encountering another.” He shuddered a little and then exhaled sharply. “Anyhow, whenever you’re ready, let’s head back to Duncan. I imagine he’s eager to get things started.”

She nodded, turning to leave before pausing. “That argument I saw, what was that about?”

“What, with the mage?” Alistair asked. “The Circle is here at the king’s request and the Chantry doesn’t like that one bit. They just love letting mages know how unwelcome they are.”

Neria felt her heart drop, body immediately tensing him a little. Of course the Chantry was here, she had seen the Templars. It was like in Lothering, and all the other places she had been while traveling with Duncan. She was outside of Kinloch Hold, yeah, but was still a prisoner.

“Which puts me in a bit of an awkward position. I was once a Templar.”

Her head snapped back up, eyes wide. “You were a mage-hunter?” An assassin like Cullen? she thought.

Alistair sighed a little, and she wondered if perhaps she had offended him in some way. “Not that that’s all Templars do, but yes. The Chantry raised me until Duncan recruited me six months ago,” he told her. His expression soured again. “I’m sure the revered mother meant it as an insult—sending me as her messenger—and the mage picked right up on that. I never would have agreed to deliver it, but Duncan says we’re all to cooperate and get along. Apparently, they didn’t get the same speech.”

She wanted to tell him that, no, of course they didn’t. But hold her tongue. 

He started walking then, gesturing that she follow alongside him. They continued talking, about more 'pleasant' topics. Of Archdemons and darkspawn, of the war effort and how they should trust Teyrn Loghain instead of the king. And she realized she didn't noticed in what moment they had reached Duncan's camp. Then, they were given their assignment: kill darkspawn, get their blood, and retrieve some old treaties from an abandoned old tower in the wilds...


End file.
